


Rikudo

by Toph the Trickster (lizares029)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Adventure & Romance, F/M, Family, Mystery, Politics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2017-01-19
Packaged: 2018-08-21 19:33:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8257895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizares029/pseuds/Toph%20the%20Trickster
Summary: In the fires of a broken village and in the wake of two Kages' deaths, a child is born to a changed world, and a student of the late Hokage returns home.





	1. Prologue: The Return

The wind rushed past her as she moved through the path. The branches hung low and the leaves brushed against her cloak. Had she been anywhere else in the continent those same leaves would be bronze and falling to the ground whenever she touched them; however, the Land of Fire was locked in eternal summer.

Behind her she could hear the stomp of hooves – her student was struggling to keep up with her. She wouldn't stop, however. She knew that he would catch up to her eventually – he was familiar enough with the territory to do so, but she did not have the time to delay. Even now she could feel how hotter it was than usual, how the chilling autumn air from the other lands of the continent should still be flooding into the country. She charged onwards without relent, only remembering the contents of the letter inside her coat pocket driving her forward after riding since before the sun rose that day.

When she arrived at the top of the overlook to see the village – where the wooden giants that surrounded her finally abated to the endless expanse of night – she felt the air leave her lungs.

The fires were still burning.

A ring of red and orange light surrounded the now-charred looking ruins of Konohagakure and spread out. The tall trees she had been riding under were older than she was. She learned this from those that taught her and here she was looking as a good kilometer from the village center was little more than the thickest column of smoke she had ever seen surrounded by fires that she was sure had been burning for the past few days.

She stared on and imagined how things could have fallen apart like this, how long the peace that had blanketed the continent had suddenly degenerated into the misfortunes that befall her over the last few weeks. It was as she remembered these things that she found the will to spur her horse to ride down the road before her, the banner she was holding up clutched tight in her hand and held high for all to see.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she could see the masks of ANBU agents looking at her through the trees. She knew they would not stop her; the letter had told her that they would not stop her and anyone she might have been bringing with her for as long as they saw the symbol stamped upon the banner. She found herself wondering how people would feel to see the flag she was carrying or if it would be recognized by anyone at all.

The wind continued to rush past her, her scarlet cloak fluttering in the wind as she listened and watched. Behind her she heard her student follow, no longer calling her name and content to follow behind his teacher. In front of her she saw the wall of fire grow larger, closer, until she could see each individual tree burning and the futile attempts of the ninja and civilians to put out the fires. Some of them looked at her as she passed. Would any of them recognize her? Remember her and the life she left behind here?

She didn't think so.

Past the ring of fire she went, the cries of orders and calls for help fading in the background as she crossed the charred remains of great woods and elderly trees, little plumes of smoke rising from their burned corpses to mingle with the greater, more ominous cloud that rose to the sky to mark Konohagakure's greatest failure.

Konoha's walls were black and damaged beyond recognition, the smoke rising from it creating a true wall that seemed to turn all else away with a warning. Could there still be fires plaguing the village even now days after the attack? She brought her collar up and placed part of her cloak there to block out the worst of the particles that was beginning to saturating the air and – with her eyes closed and her heart hardened in preparation of what she was about to see – she crossed the barrier of smog.

Regardless of her seeing of the worst of warfare and her travels all across the continent, what she saw inside the smoke still managed to appear to her as one of the worst things she had ever seen: The world seemed to have lost all its color, the smoke and ash still permeating the air with such thickness that she had to squint to keep any of it from getting into her eyes. Houses that were once cream with red terra cotta tiles were now black and gray and crushed into debris and dust. She saw circles of men and women gathered around piles of ruin and attempting to dig – possibly searching for survivors that she knew were not there.

A part of her heart told her to stop her horse, to dismount and go to the people lying on the ground bathed in ash and to heal them and tend to their needs; it was the child in her that had wanted to help people and do everything she could for them – even when they could no longer be saved. The majority of her heart, however, told her that those people were already dead and that there was no point in comforting or helping a corpse. She was in this gods-forsaken village again because she was commanded there, and she would see to her duties before she would go down and do what she could to help, provided she found it in herself later on to do so.

She gripped her banner tighter and straightened her arm just a little bit as she resumed her pace – she had been caught in a moment of weakness and had, indeed, stopped. She recognized the gasp and the expletive she heard somewhere behind her as her student's and didn't bother to look back. He would follow. She had no time to tend to his heart right now, and it was better that he got used to seeing this; great things were expected of him by the House and he would have to see to those duties eventually.

Things didn't get any better the closer to the center of the village she went though. The crunching of scattered bones under the hooves of her horse was enough to tell her that. The area only got flatter, the scorch marks more pronounced, and the cries of people even louder. There weren't any fires remaining, however, just smoldering piles of embers and ash that were the result of what was possibly days of burning.

Konoha had truly been devastated by this.

Upon arriving at what appeared to her as the center of the village, she spared no more time looking at what exactly the people were doing and made a straight dash for the mountain, the same mountain the Hokage Monument was carved on. She wouldn't be scaling the cliff with her horse so she rode north when she was close enough, searching out the road that would lead her up it. She was glad to know the mountain remained largely untouched by the destruction, any dark patches ending before touching the outermost tree of the mountain's woods. It was its own world, Monument Mountain, even before all of this happened, entering that place was like leaving everything behind and going to a place she would never find elsewhere.

The old cobblestone path leading through the mountain face was the same as it was years ago during her last visit. The hooves of her horse clacking on it as she continued the sprint up; she might have been breathing easier now but she still couldn't slow her pace. She couldn't remember how she made her way through exactly, just that she followed the path that she always had whenever she was coming by and soon she found herself rushing through the estate's open gates and straight through the grounds, no longer bothering to look at what might have changed she was last her.

When she finally found it in her to allow her poor mount to stop the unrelenting charge it had begun early that day when she started, she was standing in front of the building she was ordered to arrive at.

And no matter how many times she would close her eyes and expect it to be different – different like the village and the country was undoubtedly different when she passed through it – she could not find anything that conflicted with the memory of the house in her mind. The same stone walls, the same double doors with bronze doorknobs, the same windows lit with the exact same lights as it did all those years ago when she first came here. Truly the mountain was its own world and not even a great tragedy that befell Konoha could change it.

She was standing in front of the door with the banner still held tightly in her right hand, her horse was lying on the ground in exhaustion – it would probably have to be put down tomorrow. Behind her, her student dropped from his horse with a strangled gasp and something about resting. She wasn't sure as she had not been paying him much attention.

When the door opened, however, she started paying close attention to things again. And when she saw who was standing at the door, she dropped to one knee and bowed her head in respect.

"Come in." Was all he said before he turned back into the golden light of the main hallway. From inside the building, he continued: "There is much work to be done."


	2. Pieces Old and New

**Year:** 594 F.S. _(First Succession)_

Momochi Zabuza wasn't sure what he was expecting when he returned to the village after his most recent mission, but he was certain that what he saw when he arrived was certainly not what he wanted to see at all.

He nodded to the guard after the latter passed Zabuza back his papers. Placing them back into the pocket of his village-issued jounin jacket, he passed through the large arch of the gate and entered the village proper. Once inside, he managed to get a better look at the things.

He did not particularly like what he was seeing.

The tension just around the entrance was already palpable. Windows were closed and no children were running around. The mist that surrounded the village in its entirety felt thicker and heavier than usual. Zabuza could not see more than ten or so meters in front of him, and that was already considering the fact that the lamps were already on.

Stalls were closed and the streets were barren. This was strange and unexpected. When he left for his mission three months ago, the place was teeming with life. Merchants were out with their wares, people conversing in the streets, and children playing with each other; a stark contrast to the story of fear that the surroundings seemed to be telling him.

The young man frowned when he thought of the other time this sort of thing had happened.

Zabuza had been a Genin in the siege of Kirigakure during the second civil war three years ago. He had seen the faces of the people and the slow despair that crept over everyone when the third Mizukage had died and supplies had started running low. It was much the same as it appeared to be now, just instead of people hiding behind the walls of the village's inner area, they are hiding inside their houses from something he doesn't quite know about yet.

He tries to look around more, to see if there was anyone or anything that could tell him that Kirigakure was preparing for war. He looks to ledges and small bridges between buildings, tops of city walls and spires and towers. There didn't seem to be any weapons or supplies being stockpiled or garrisons being built. He noticed a tightening of the guard if he remembered how the guard was acting when he entered and the increase in number of people manning the walls, however.

Zabuza decided then that something had definitely happened. It probably wasn't war, but it was certainly enough to put the people of the village on edge.

What could have happened in three months, though? Had someone tried to attack them? Was war brewing in the mainland despite how recently the last war had just ended? The Third Great Shinobi War ended just months after the second civil war ended for Kiri. The Shinobi nations participating in the war had all suffered great economic losses when their supply lines started falling apart and it had become far too expensive to continue supporting the war effort. He remembers hearing from Yagura the Wise – the man that took over Kirigakure leadership after the Siege – that wars could be won with wealth and that sometimes it didn't matter how powerful Shinobi are on the battlefield.

Everyone needed to eat, after all, and you could have all power a ninja's arsenal could give you but it would be all pointless if you starved to death.

"Momochi Zabuza?" It seemed that he was so lost in thought that he failed to notice someone emerge from the fog to his right.

Looking in the direction of the voice, Zabuza saw someone dressed in red cloth and polished silver samurai armor standing next to one of the many lampposts that lined the cobblestone road. He recognized the Kabuto and the three claw marks that were engraved on the armor above his heart as that of the organization that protected some of the higher-profile merchants that travelled to the village for business.

The samurai was large, standing a good foot-and-a-half over Zabuza who already stood at just under five feet. The jounin had to stop himself from instinctually grabbing a hold of Kubikiribocho, the sword he was given when its previous wielder had decided Zabuza would become a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Despite being fifteen and bearing the lanky frame he'd had since childhood, Zabuza held the beginnings of defined musculature that he was certain would become more defined later on. The ninja kept his hair just long enough to be styled but short enough that the strands could still stand under their own weight.

"Yes." Part of him thinks it should have been a question instead of a response.

"You are requested to report to the Mizukage's office." The voice was raspy and smothered by the metal mask that covered the samurai's mouth.

Zabuza nodded. He had no reason to object. "I was on my way there." He paused, waiting if the samurai had anything else to say. When the Samurai only nodded, the ninja asked: "Is there a reason for this?"

The man shook his head. "I was only told that you were to report to your high command as soon as you arrived, and that there should be no dallying. I am to escort you there if necessary."

At the last sentence, Zabuza raised a hand. "Thank you, samurai-dono, but that won't be necessary. Thank you for your services." And after a shallow bow, he resumed his walk. From the corner of his eye, he saw the older man return the bow before retreating into the mists once more.

This was the first time such a thing happened to him. Zabuza usually made it a point to report to high command before anything else upon arriving back in the village; only very, very special cases prevented him from doing so. There was definitely something going on, then, if high command wanted one of its ninja to report to them before anything else and even went so far as to utilize the services of a foreign samurai to ensure that would happen.

He tried to observe the surroundings as he proceeded to the large silhouette that stood in the fog that he knew to be the Mizukage's tower, but it was all the same: silence, absence, and a feeling of creeping dread.

It would be fifteen minutes of dead silence later that he would arrive at the entrance to the tower.

The land of Water was a nation made up of a group of islands located to the east of mainland. Because of this, it was the most isolated of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Kirigakure was located in the largest of the nine islands. The climate of the area allowed for excellent plant growth and many of the people of the Land of Water loved this. Plants would decorate roofs, roads, hang form walls, and some potted plants could even be found in rooms and offices. The mountainous area of the village proper coupled with the ever-presence of the trees created a cool and fresh climate for all the people living in it.

The brick structure stood over nine hundred meters above its base and nearly four hundred meters wide. Plants were scattered at the entrance and along the high walkways that connected it to the other towers that littered the village. A large arch four hundred meters high and two hundred and fifty meters wide cut through the base of the tower and acted as its entrance and lobby at the same time. Commission offices could be found here as well as lists of Shinobi that could be selected for running missions. Zabuza remembered being a genin spending a lot of his time here looking through mission orders and looking to make some extra cash. The memory made him grin a bit, especially thinking that such a time had just been a short four years ago.

Now, however, the lobby was a sad sight to behold.

The desks were still manned. All fifteen of them occupied by a bureaucrat of some sort, but there were no other shinobi in the area; there seemed to have been a few prospective clients, but they were just milling around and talking among themselves.

Zabuza turned to the right and started ascending the staircase that circled around the wall. As he climbed, he saw the guards lining the ledge of the upper floors and looking down to the lobby; he counted at least thirty. It was to be expected, though. If things were as tense as they looked to be, then this building would probably be the most secure building in the nation right now bar the feudal lord's.

The Mizukage's office was located at the very top of the tower, one would have to pass through the rooftop garden that was very common for most buildings in the country in order to enter it. Treading through the cobblestone path, Zabuza could see the lantern lights reflected on the glass wall that faced the garden proper; he could not see inside, however which meant the blinds were up.

Halfway down the walkway, Zabuza paused for a short moment to look to the sky. There was no fog this high up and he could finally see the sun for the first time since arriving at the village. It was setting now, however, orange light tainting the edges of the hole in the terra cotta roof that opened into the garden.

Whatever it was that he was so urgently being called for and the tenseness of the village was something Zabuza wasn't too happy about. He was finally getting settled into peace after the Second Civil War, he was of good standing in the village, he had friends and colleagues that he enjoyed working with. He was also looking into taking on students this year, but it looks like he might have to put that in the back burner if things were as bad as he thought they were.

With a sigh, he looked away from the waning light of the sun and turned to the double mahogany doors that led to the Mizukage's office. He crossed the remainder of the walkway with purposeful strides and stood straight upon reaching the entrance.

With a single knock, he heard a latch click from the other side and the doors swing open with a creak of their joints.

During the day time, the office would resemble a long hallway with stone slab walls decorated with paintings of notable sights across the Land of Water. At the end of that would-be hall, the room would open up into a round area where the Mizukage's desk is situated with an observatory above it.

Instead of this, however, all Zabuza saw was darkness. The paintings could not be seen and neither could the walls. He didn't know when the door closed behind him, but he knew that he didn't close it himself. Looking around and finding nothing, he decided to move down to the office proper.

The desk was the only source of light. Even a good distance away, Zabuza could make out the desk that it was on and the person that sat behind it.

Seeing who was behind the desk caused the swordsman to furrow his brows as he approached.

"Terumi Mei." He crossed his arms as he looked down at the woman… no, child that sat behind the Mizukage's desk. "What are you doing behind that table?"

At fourteen, Terumi Mei was a considered by many to be a rather small girl; standing at just above four feet all at full height, she appeared much smaller when she sat on the large wooden chair that was reserved for the Mizukage. Her long red hair was tied in a topknot that allowed the rest to fall down to her upper back. She was slouched forward, her elbows resting on the desk while her arms were wrapped around herself in a loose hug.

Despite her age she was considered pretty by many and most of the Mizukage's supporters would say that she would grow up to be quite the heart-breaker.

Members of the Mizukage's opposition, however, had grown to refer to her as "Yagura's Pet."

She looked up at him with steely, green eyes; there were bags under them and she appeared paler than he was used to seeing her.

"Circumstances have arisen that have caused me to take this seat, Zabuza Momochi." Right after the younger girl spoke, he realized that they were not alone in the room.

"And what is that?" There didn't seem to be any hostility from the room's other occupant, however, so he decided to keep silent about it. Perhaps it was part of Terumi's coming explanation.

There was a pause here. He saw her shoulders rise and fall as she took a large breath before continuing. Her posture changed at this, her arms moving to occupy the armchairs and her back straightening to lean back against the chair's backrest.

"Tell me, Zabuza-san," She began, her voice taking on a tone that neither he nor any of his friends – if they had been there or had ever worked with the young Mei – were accustomed to hearing from her. "What are your thoughts on the Battle of the Northern Sea two years ago?"

The question caught him off guard. Zabuza couldn't think of a reason for her to ask such a question especially since she hadn't even answered the question he had asked her just moments ago. While thinking of how he was going to proceed, he looked through the corner of his eye to the couch that was located to his left with every intention of observing the guest that was with them.

Unfortunately for the ninja, the best he could work with was a silhouette and from what he could tell form this angle. It was a woman.

In any case, he had his reply: "It was won as well as could be." His eyes returned to Mei's as he remembered those days of the battle. "Then Field Commander Yagura had taken the field himself to ensure our victory."

"And what did you think of that decision?" Mei's reply was quick. It was as though she had expected such a response from him. This left him unsure of what he was expected to say.

Several seconds he kept quiet, thinking of what answer might spare him from death should she not be satisfied with his answer. Perhaps he didn't even need to be worried about her killing him considering her fairly low rank as a ninja, but her connections to the Mizukage and whoever it was he was connected with – he was no fool. Zabuza could at least determine that whenever Mei disappeared on what was stated as _Special Missions_ she was running errands for their Mizukage. Calling in his contacts and making sure his dealings outside of their country continued to strengthen both their village and his own regime.

Zabuza took a deep breath and thought of how much he didn't like conversations like these and hoped that he wouldn't have to deal with them too much in the future.

"It spared us a lot of lives is what I can certainly say, though I'd admit that it didn't look like a lot of others thought the same." There, he said it. He could almost sigh. He looked back to Terumi from wherever his straying gaze had gone while he was thinking and found that her own posture seemed to have visibly relaxed.

"Thank you for answer my question, Zabuza Momochi." She took a deep breath and closed her own eyes before continuing. "You will have to understand that if you were going to be considered for this mission, it was necessary that we more closely examine your loyalties."

Zabuza raised an eyebrow at this. It was no lie that there were many within Kirigakure that were unhappy with Yagura's rule and even less that he had someone like Mei – a child in the eyes of many of the veteran shinobi of the village – to hold such a position of influence in his court even though there wasn't anything official about it.

"And a single question would somehow be able to prove my loyalty to our Mizukage?"

Her eyes opened at this. Her lips graced him with one of the smiles that made people say that she would grow to become quite the heart-breaker. Zabuza couldn't say he disagreed.

"It doesn't solidify your position or my trust, but it does make me more comfortable in giving you a chance to prove your loyalty to me and to Yagura's administration." As she said this, there was a stray creak coming from the wooden platforms on the observatory above. This immediately caused Zabuza to look up to check what was causing the disturbance.

Four cloaked soldiers with swords drawn was not what he expected to see.

Quickly drawing two kunai in favor of Kubikiribocho – as the large sword wasn't much use in a fight in such a small space – he moved to partially cover Terumi Mei. Hopefully he'd be able to buy her time to escape.

"Quickly, Terumi," He said while keeping his eyes glued on the four. "Get out of here and warn the Mizukage before-" Mei's hand grabbing one of his fists and pushing them away from her interrupted him.

"At ease, Zabuza." She said. "They're here to keep me safe."

Zabuza found himself looking at her with a raised eyebrow, one that would probably not be too noticed because of how his headband covered them. Standing straight and holstering the two kunai he drew, he decided that he would believe her.

With a nod he responded: "They are not from here. Why?"

She sat back down on the Mizukage's chair while motioning for him to do the same before replying.

"What you have done has made you pass the second test, though I cannot say that this was part of the plan. I will at least consider you an ally for now and treat you accordingly." She folded her fingers together in her and crossed her legs in her seat. Zabuza found himself wondering that she did not look her age right now. "There is something that you must know before we continue, Zabuza Momochi; something that has left me in this rather difficult position and the air in our village to be very tense."

There was a pause here, as though she had been hoping for him to ask the question and spare her the initiative of breaking the news, but Zabuza did not speak; he found himself unable to.

"Mizukage Yagura is dead. He died a almost a week ago when the three-tailed beast broke out of its seal." She rubbed a hand against her bridge of her nose. Zabuza sat shocked in his seat, unable to respond while the news hit him.

Yagura is dead? How? He was the most powerful ninja Zabuza had ever had the honor of serving under. The third was a powerful man, but not as powerful as he could have been considering his rather early death during the _Siege of Kiri_ three years ago. He remembers the days of the siege: hunkered down behind the village walls, unable to leave while the enemy was camped outside waiting for a sign of weakness. He remembered Yagura, just a common shinobi at the time, arriving from the west, alone, and crushing everything that stood between him and the village walls.

He remembers how his younger self watched in awe at the power of the jinchuuriki and the skill Yagura had in commanding them when he arrived at the wall. His command had ended the siege within hours of his arrival.

An old memory surfaced when he thought back. He was one of the multitudes then, a mere Genin standing with his teammates in the crowd and looking at Lord Yagura who stood atop the village walls against the light of the setting sun. His promise of victory in exchange for loyalty and faith in his ability to lead them into battle had been fulfilled when they all emerged as the winners of the war almost a year later.

"How?" He had to know what had happened. This was a reality that Zabuza needed to come to grips with in some way.

"Something – _someone_ – had infiltrated High Command while I was not here." Mei sighed, and Zabuza thought he heard her grind her teeth for a moment. "You know how Yagura usually kept to our shared quarters whenever he wasn't busy. To everyone else there wasn't anything wrong with him, and it didn't help that I was out of the country as well on his orders." He saw her take a deep breath.

She was not taking this too well, despite the façade she was managing to put up.

"He was being controlled somehow – I think I know by what, but we're not discussing that right now. It was months before the High Councilors noticed anything strange about how he was acting. By the time they managed to get in contact with me, it was too late." She looked to the visitor on the couch and Zabuza was made to do the same. "I was with them at the time, discussing the possibility of constructing a port for Kiri. It would have allowed us more trade and less dependence on missions from outside or from the feudal lord. Yagura and I were hoping this would put us in a position to avoid going to war for a long, long time." Looking back to her, he saw her place her face into one of her hands.

"I discovered what was going on as soon as I saw him again. A fight broke out between us and infiltrator and those soldiers you saw on the observatory are the only reason I'm still here speaking to you." He heard her let loose another sigh. "Yagura was released from their control but it was too late. Whatever they were doing to him was damaging his seal somehow." She was looking at her wrung hands now, reliving the memory in her mind. "It wasn't holding anymore. The beast was getting ready to break free. Break free it did, and that ultimately killed him."

Her eyes looked up to stare at his intently.

"It's still out there, blindly ravaging the empty waters as though searching for a purpose. The Councilors tell me that it should calm down in another week or so and depart for whatever destination it sees fit.

"I have been left with his will. My friend there," she gestured to the visitor again. "Has been tasked with assisting me in executing it and I have to now contend with the rumors circulating of his death and the release of the Three-Tailed Beast.

"I'm sure you noticed that no one has been discussing this in the village when you were on your way here?" Zabuza shook his head. Mei nodded in response. "That's because we've been keeping it under wraps for now. With Yagura gone, the village has been left with a power vacuum that needs to be filled. If we leave it empty for too long someone's going to get the idea that they can do the job."

Her eyes looked cold now, it was as cool as Yagura's became whenever he was discussing something that would require a measure of ruthlessness that many in Kiri had become familiar with while at the same time grown to live in fear of.

"We stand on the brink of another civil war, Zabuza Momochi. I will not have it; I promised him that I would never allow another civil war to happen again while I still drew breath, and I am going to need your help to make sure it stays that way."

~TtT~

Jiraiya of the Sannin looked at the glass of tea that was set in front of him and silently found himself wishing it was sake. Sake would have been very good right now, but he was certain he wasn't the room's only occupant to think that was the case.

The Hinata Inn complex was an old set of buildings that predated even the founding of his home village Konohagakure no Sato - or the Village Hidden in the Leaves. It was a complex made up of four large buildings that stood to form a square with a large garden in the middle. Each building had approximately five floors and had over three hundred rooms shared between the four of them. The complex's territory extended several kilometers around the complex and were surrounded by stone walls that stood two stories high.

The five hundred year old building was situated within the densely-wooded hills of Kodane-zen in the north-eastern border of the Land of Rain with the Land of Grass. Looking out the window, Jiraiya could already see October heralding the winter: The peaks of the Futago-zen to the far north of the nation - Tetsuno-zen and Nemuri-zen - were already becoming white with early snow.

The snow did not worry him, of course. the Hinata Inn had withstood many winters and stood the test of time. Three Great Shinobi Wars could not bring it down, and certainly one winter would barely scratch it. Even now though, he could still see the smoke rising from Nemuri's peak, a testament to Amegakure's tireless drive.

Maybe this is why his student's parents moved here after they left Konoha food good.

Looking back from the large balcony that the room he currently occupied opened up to, he turned his gaze toward the room.

It was a large, plain, room. Looking around, Jiraiya gauged that it was over thirty tatami large with a height of approximately five meters. This was a room that was meant to house a large party, perhaps even a hundred guests at a time.

Now, however, it just housed five.

At the end of the room - where the head of the table would have been if there was such a table there - sat a woman forty-two years of age. She appeared younger though, and Jiraiya would probably not have been able to guess how old she was if he didn't already know her real age. Purple eyes that gazed down at the series of letters laid out at the tiny, portable table she had set before her drew attention away from the bags underneath her eyes that marked days of restlessness. Her oval face was framed by raven hair that was tied in a topknot at the back of her head - her family's preferred method of showing their station. She wore a black kimono that was decorated with scarlet blossoms and golden vines that crept up the skirt's right side.

She was Namikaze Saiki, wife of Namikaze Fundo and mother of Namikaze Minato - Jiraiya's second apprentice and the fourth Hokage of Konohagakure.

Directly across from where Jiraiya sat was a boy of twelve, his shaggy black hair falling too short to be tied into a topknot but just barely so. A pair of glasses served as windows to two sharp purple eyes. He was currently speaking softly to the two young girls that sat beside him.

The boy was the head of the now-obscure and almost-forgotten shogunate: Urashima Keitaro. The two girls he was speaking with were the only survivors of a great fire that broke out in a Shogunate Retainer's fief within the Land of Tea. A great asset to House Urashima was lost that day.

Looking back to lady Saiki, Jiraiya was made to think that many things had been lost in the last few weeks. He could only imagine what lady Saiki must be going through right now.

After all it wasn't all the time you lost both your husband and your son within a week of each other.

The death of the great Namikaze Fundo was what brought him to visit lady Saiki in the first place. It wasn't a long distance to travel by any means as Jiraiya lived in the inn, himself, anyway. He was technically retired from Konoha's shinobi forces and spent much of his time enjoying the peace at the inn and its easy access to the Okane-gajo to the south - the continent's largest trade hub with a red light district that allowed him to fully explore the ideas he wanted to put into his writing.

She was rather calm about her husband's death when he first arrived which was probably due to the fact that Fundo had at one point announced that he was expecting to die sometime last year and had actually lived longer than he expected. Of course this didn't make the death any easier on anyone in the family. With problems poking up here and there, though, Saiki's children weren't due to return for a few more days. Minato had informed them that Kushina had entered labor, and problems with the Land of Water required attention as well.

Things didn't get too bad until several days ago when word arrived from Konoha that the Kyuubi attacked.

The inn was already quiet then. The Namikaze family was spread thin addressing problems across multiple nations. Lady Saiki's nephew, Lord Keitaro, was also preoccupied handling things at Tea country and was none too happy to hear of the attack, either.

News came late last night, however, that fighting in Konoha had stopped as of four days ago. Saiki had been heartbroken to hear that her son had died along with his wife. She had retreated to her room for several hours and refused company from anyone bar one of her daughters-in-law who was ,unfortunately, not in the country.

Saiki emerged from her quarters with only one question on her lips:

"Does my grandson live?"

That was the main news that they were waiting in the hall till now for.

Unfortunately for Jiraiya, he didn't have much work to do while he waited while Saiki had things to monitor and Keitaro had to ladies to comfort. His spy network was left in disarray after what he learned was the almost-complete annihilation of Konoha and he, too, was left reliant on the Namikaze network that existed outside of the ninja system for information.

That network's line to konoha currently consisted of runners on horseback of course, but compared to Jiraiya's nothing, he couldn't complain.

Giving up on thinking about the current situation and how little he could do to help, the sannin finally decided that staring long and hard at his cup of tea would not, in fact, change it to liquor and took the cup up and drank all of the contents.

It was right after he set it back down that footsteps echoed through the hall and a very haggard looking messenger skidded across the polished wood of the balcony and landed on his wrists and elbows, a cloud of dust forming in his wake.

The boy was thirteen years old, silver hair that was long enough to be tied into a short ponytail at the back of his head. His glasses fell off when he fell and he had to put them back on before he stood up. He quickly rushed into the room before dropping to his knees and facing lady Saiki.

There was no greeting, no introduction - though it wasn't as necessary as this particular messenger was probably someone the other occupants in the room already knew; there were only three words that came out of his mouth:

"The boy lives."

And it was like a great weight had been lifted from the room.

Lady Saiki breathed a sigh and placed both her hands on her heart, dropping the letter or document that she had been holding. Lord Keitaro sat straighter than he ever had all night and pat both girls on the shoulder before pulling them into a hug.

Fundo was dead, Minato and Kushina were dead, Kirigakure is starting to destabilize and might erupt into civil war, Konoha was most likely in ruins and he probably had to go back there to help but the child was alive.

His godson was alive.

"What is his name?" Jiraiya found himself speaking before he could catch himself.

The silver-haired messenger looked to Jiraiya with wide eyes, as though noticing the older man for the first time since his arrival:

"His name is Uzumaki Naruto."

~TtT~

Shimura Danzo found both his eyes trying to examine the faces of each council member that was present at today's meeting. Admittedly, this was rather difficult to do in the middle of the day especially with the sun beating down on him. The fact that they were forced to conduct this meeting in the pseudo-ruins of the old arena did not help as Danzo was now forced to speak from the Hokage's Stand where he was seated with Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The arena had somehow managed to survive the three-day battle between Konohagakure and the Kyuubi. The location along with the stone that was used in its construction spared it from the fires that had damaged the Hokage Tower as well as rendered the actual Council Chambers unusable until repairs were made. Normally, this wouldn't have been a problem as many members of the council would have been fine with just waiting for the aforementioned repairs to be completed and they could have their discussions inside the large, well-furnaced council chambers.

This meeting was so urgent, however, that they had to find the best and most secure place to hold an emergency meeting. Unfortunately, the Konohagakure Arena was the easiest to defend place - with it being among the tallest remaining buildings in the village - while at the same time being able to accommodate the number of people that were expected to attend the council meetings today.

Unfortunately, Hiruzen and Danzo had failed to account for the possibility that certain council member would be unable to make it because of certain _hindrances_.

Death had a bad habit of leaving people rather indisposed after all.

Letting that little bit of morbid humor pass, Danzo cast his glance back to the members of the council that _could_ attend today's rather important meeting:

Most of the Ninja Clans of Konoha were in attendance, at least, though some of the occupied positions were being filled in by… _replacements_. The gravity of the death toll handed to him was definitely not exaggerated. And he was thankful that Minato-sama had been so adamant about the implementation of the Vice-Counselor system. Regardless, Danzo could see from his seat that actual counselors and successors alike were still dressed in battle garb. Taking a quick glance to Hiruzen, he saw that his friend wasn't faring any better either: Hiruzen was still dressed in his black battle clothes without even the Kage Hat he had worn so frequently back in the day.

"Food is an issue;" Said the voice of a twenty-four year old woman with short, messy hair that fell to just past her shoulders, angular eyes lined with purple shade and slit-like irises. The twin fang marks on her cheeks marked her as a member of the Inuzuka Clan. "The fires had destroyed more than fifteen storehouses; we lost more than eighty percent of our food stores." Inuzuka Tsume had been the vice counselor of her clan before the attack, standing as second to her father.

Now her husband and her father were dead, leaving her head of her clan and mother to two fatherless children - one of which had been born just this year.

"That food was meant to last us until the next quarter." It was a statement. Looking to the new speaker, Danzo realized that it was Hyuuga Hiashi, acting vice counselor of the Hyuuga. The man's normally well-kept hair was disheveled from lack of attention and the bags underneath his eyes showed his lack of rest. Besides him stood his father, Hyuuga Hakuryo, who was the clan's presiding head and council representative. Unlike his son, however, Hakuryo managed to keep a well-kept look about him. "We will need to resupply somehow."

Danzo saw Hiruzen nod.

"Those are valid concerns, yes, and I thank you for bringing them up." Danzo saw the Hokage take a deep breath before continuing. Speaking in open air required them to speak louder than they would have if they were in the council chamber. "I had sent word to our Daimyo yesterday, and his reply came mercifully swift. He comes with supplies that will last us several months, but we shall be on tight rationing until then."

It was a good thing their feudal lord cared enough about their village to take their message more quickly. Granted, Danzo had the inkling that the elderly feudal lord had been aware of the Kyuubi's attack and had begun to prepare as soon as he heard of it. The smoke that still rose from the charred trees outside the village still surrounded Konoha today; Shimura was certain it could be seen for miles around.

If the Land of Fire wasn't so big, Danzo was certain they would be invaded already.

"I have also contacted all of the builders and construction material suppliers in the surrounding villages, they have offered volunteer workers and most of their available materials at a reduced price."

There were nods that could be seen in the crowd. Civilian counselors that were made up of local merchants could be seen conversing. Danzo assumed that it was regarding the shouldering of expenses for the purchase of materials. Eventually, one of them spoke up:

"Konohagakure's merchant guild shall handle the purchasing of materials for reconstruction. It is in the village's best interest that the ninja focus on protecting our territories and finding survivors." There was a pause here, one that Danzo and almost everyone in attendance knew meant something bad - or at the very least something not too nice. "We admit that we might not be able to purchase all of the materials necessary for the full reconstruction of the village, but it should be enough to regain basic infrastructure and rebuild most of the damaged village walls and get some basic shelter up and running."

This was the signal Danzo was waiting for. Standing up, strode forward until he was beside Hiruzen. He took a deep breath and squeezed both his hands into tight fists as he looked over the crowd once more, taking in the little bits of doubt and worry that shone through.

It was time for the first step of the plan:

"I have… been contacted by a representative of the Namikaze Corporation." A large collection of eyebrows rose at the statement, but there were no interruptions. "Upon hearing of our…" Danzo found himself pausing, trying to think of the right word while his hands moved to rifle through his sleeve pockets. " _Situation_ , I was given a letter that was to be announced before this council." Finding the said letter, he pulled it out and began unfolding it as he looked to Hiruzen for a sort-of permission. When his old friend nodded he began reading:

" _Tragedy befalls us all this season, beloved people of Konoha. An unprecedented disaster has come to the village and has left us all crippled and at a loss. Countless people died defending this village, up to and including a member of our own family._

" _Namikaze Minato was a good man, and we thank you all for having taken care of him during his time with your village and your people. We pass our condolences to those that - like us - have lost someone they hold dear. We have seen what has happened to the village, and we know that surviving will become that utmost priority. Infrastructure will not be easy to reacquire and rations must be restocked to stave off starvation._

" _We are thankful that the Land of Fire is blessed with an almost-perpetual summer._

" _In light of this, Namikaze Corp. is honored to announce that it shall be importing food supplies and construction materials as well as our best engineers and foremen to be placed at the disposal of the Konohagakure people for the rebuilding of this great village._

" _Of course, we - as a business - cannot offer these goods and services to you entirely free of charge can compromise._

" _The manpower we send you shall not cost you anything, but shall need a place to stay and food to eat while they are there. The food we also offer free of charge and shall send such supplies for free_ _for the next eight months. The construction material is only available at a slightly reduced price, however, but does not need to be repaid upfront - the details for this must be discussed by the Konoha leadership and presented to Namikaze within one week of this letter's receipt._

" _We hope that what little we have shall be of assistance to you, beloved people of Konoha, and that you remember that despite what might happen, you have an ally in us._

" _-Namikaze."_

There was some silence after this, all the present members of the council taking some time to absorb the information.

"I am thankful that Namikaze has found such generosity in itself despite the recent loss of one of its sons." It was Aburame Shibi, son of the current head of his clan, but had been acting as representative of the Aburame to the council for several years now. The old Kao wasn't very interested in involving himself with village matters any longer, it seemed. "It seems that even with the loss of Minato-sama, we still owe his bloodline a great deal."

"At least with help from the Daimyo, and Namikaze, most of our problems are already taken care of." It was the head of Akimichi Clan, besides him his vice-counselor Choza stood, the younger man's bright red hair standing out in the stands. "But I have to agree with Aburame. We owe Namikaze a great deal. From the war - where Minato-sama's contribution was no small matter - to the attack of the Kyuubi."

The council burst into buzz with this, different members speaking with each other about their own experiences with Minato, some spoke of his wife Kushina as well. Danzo thought that perhaps this was their own way of brightening up after all that's happened, and maybe remembering those two for what they had done for the village.

With a sigh, he looked to Hiruzen, and nodded.

Hiruzen took several steps forward, now standing at the very edge of the Kage's box, and now leaning against the stone railing. Raising his hand, he signaled the assembly for silence and soon all was quiet inside the arena.

"While we have managed to address the most pressing matter as of now, there is another important subject that must be discussed, and one that perhaps we have already put off for too long:" He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "What is to be done with the child they left?"

Apparently deciding to take the heavy silence that met his question, Hiruzen continued: "As you all know, Minato had sealed the Kyuubi no Yoko into a child - his only son. Of course, Minato and Kushina are now dead, and the child is now an orphan."

"The jinchuuriki has traditionally been held under close-watch of the Kage." It was one of the locally elected representatives of the civilians: a middle-aged man with shaggy brown hair, a full beard, and green eyes.;Hiragi Saito, Danzo thought his name was. "While clearly that would have been the case since he is Minato-sama's child, that doesn't apply anymore. Perhaps Sarutobi-sama will take the child under his care?"

Agreement chorused through the crowd before another voice was raised in concern:

"There is still the issue with how the people of the village will react to this." Said Yamanaka Inoichi, vice-counselor of the Yamanaka Clan while he stood beside his mother who was the clan's acting head. "Kushina-sama managed to avoid this by not allowing anyone to know how she was related to the Kyuubi - back then we didn't allow _anyone_ to know where the Kyuubi was in the first place. We know how jinchuuriki from other countries have been treated in the past. And in light of the recent losses…" His breath caught, a show of weakness he had been trying to hold back. A hand from the Yamanaka Counselor came up and started patting her son's back.

Hiruzen nodded, drawing attention away from the younger man. "Yamanaka-san has a point. Perhaps it would do to ensure that the people do not speak of this. At the very least it should prevent the next generation of Konoha from ostracizing the child." Crossing his arms, he said: "All in favor?"

With a resounding sound of agreement from the present members of the Konohagakure Council, the new law was drafted; it would still undergo due process and still be talked over by the High Council, but Danzo believed that there shouldn't be any problems with it.

Soon after, it was back to deciding what to do with the child:

"We also need to understand that the child cannot be linked to Minato publicly. It'll draw attention to him. And that's considering the fact that it's already the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi." It was Aikuchi Nana, one of the merchant representatives - Danzo remembers her for being Kushina's best friend. "Having Hokage-sama raise him directly might not help with this."

Hiruzen nodded in response: "I had been planning to have the child placed in an orphanage in the event I was going to receive custody of him. This should help address that issue."

Nana's expression turned indignant. "An orphanage!?" Danzo could see she was holding back a scoff… No, she scoffed. "With respect, Hokage-sama, I would rather raise the child in my own home with my husband and daughter than have Minato-sama's and Kushina's only son in an _orphanage._ " There was another bustle of agreement spread through the crowd as Minato's and Kushina's friends within the council moved to support Nana.

This was the opportunity Danzo was waiting for:

Stepping forward to now be leaning against the guard railing of the Kage's Box in much the same way Hiruzen was, Danzo raised his own hand to signal for silence, and when no other voices would contest his own, he spoke:

"As all of you know, I am Konohagakure's main representative to Namikaze, and have served as our liaison to them since the time of Namikaze Gendo-sama." He remembers the Namikaze family then. It had still been Minato grandfather that had been the head at the time. Gendo and his wife Kaguya had been the people that brought the Namikaze family into Konohagakure when they moved here from the north-east. Danzo remembers many fond memories with that family. "And I believe that my loyalty to this family." He gives Hiruzen a meaningful before looking back to the audience. "And my loyalty to this village is without question."

Danzo paused for a short moment to gauge the response of the council. Hearing the soft mumbling of agreement that he could hear, he continued.

"Namikaze has done Konohagakure many a service since our village's founding; from Gendo-sama to his son Fundo-sama, and to Fundo-sama's own son Minato-sama who even became our own Hokage. Even with the loss of a Namikaze son their family offers us assistance without a word of hatred or disappointment. We cannot hope to ever really repay them for all they have done for our village, but right now one of their own needs help." He was stretching the truth a bit. He knew Hiruzen was aware of this, he knew some of the members of the council that were closer to Namikaze than most were aware of it, but he needed this to work. Needed this to work for Minato's and Kushina's sake...

For Naruto's sake.

"Allow me to handle the care of Uzumaki Naruto, and I shall assure his security for as long as I am alive. Saiki-sama - Minato-sama's mother - still lives, and has asked that I allow one of her representatives handle the care of the child. It is their right as his relatives, and I believe that we should not dishonor them by denying them such.

"Because he shall be in the care of Namikaze, Uzumaki Naruto shall remain in the home his ancestors had built in the village - the same house Gendo-sama had built when he moved to Konoha so many years ago. This shall allow the child to remain largely separate from the village and - hopefully - allow him to grow in a stable environment; something he shall desperately need." There was another pause. Danzo could feel the energy building up in the crowd now.

"This is not much, but allow me the opportunity to render this service for the Namikaze family on Konohagakure's behalf, and I shall not disappoint you, honored council." He bowed, his hands now stiff at his sides. He stayed that way for several seconds, the mumbling of the crowd had gone over into full-blown discussion now, but neither Hiruzen nor the other members of the High Council stop them.

Raising his head, he turned to look to Hiruzen who then asked the assembly:

"All in favor?"

The roar of the crowd could be heard through almost all the shelters of the village.

~TtT~

"You did masterfully, Shimura-san." said the red-haired man that sat across him inside the lavish living room. "I must compliment you on your performance."

The walk up Monument Mountain had been much more relaxing than Danzo had expected. Perhaps it was because it would be the first bit of good news he'd have the pleasure to deliver in days.

Upon arriving at the large house that the Namikaze family had traditionally occupied in Konoha, he was greeted at the door by a girl whose identity Danzo couldn't quite place. Greeting him with a smile, she opened the door to allow him entry and brought him straight to the sitting room where the current Namikaze head - Minato's older brother - was waiting for him.

"I am thankful that our supporters were all present. The letter you gave me was a big help as well; it was a large factor in swaying the council in our favor." Danzo tried not to bow as it would have looked rather awkward while sitting on a western couch chair.

The elder Namikaze brother graced him with a small smile before he replied: "Nonsense, Shimura-san. Namikaze still considers Konohagakure something important to us. It has been our home since the time of my grandparents. It is only right that we do our best to help this village in its time of need. _They_ would have wanted that."

Danzo was inclined to agree, and he was thankful that Namikaze felt such an attachment to Konoha that they would expend such resources on them at this time. The older Namikaze brother - Danzo recalls - had not been raised in Konoha like Minato had been.

The older brother wasn't a ninja either, opting instead of take over the family business from his father: Namikaze Fundo.

"And I trust the others are doing alright? I hope Aikuchi and her family are well?"

Danzo nodded.

"Aikuchi-san and her family are well, thankfully. The members of the shinobi clans, however, I cannot say the same for. We have lost many people in the last week, but hopefully word of this has not gotten out and we shouldn't worry about the other nations finding out about this incident."

Namikaze looked at him, now smirking.

"I think it's less 'hopefully' and more 'surely,' Shimura-san. I highly doubt you will allow such information to get out of Konoha. My people have certainly assured me that such things haven't happened yet so I know that you have been managing to keep the good work up." After saying this, the smirk faded, and Namikaze continued: "It is good. I'd rather we not have another war breaking out so soon after the last one ended. I - for one - would at least like to enjoy a decade of peace."

Namikaze crossed his legs and put his hands together as he leaned back against his own chair.

"Now, let us discuss this arrangement of ours with respect to my nephew."

Over the course of the next hour or so, both men spoke to each other. The conversation covering things such as the number of guards to be stationed around the manor, how close to the manor proper they were allowed to be, and how many of them were to remain following Naruto and his would-be caretaker whenever they left the manor together, the number that would follow the caretaker whenever she would leave the manor alone, the number that would follow Naruto whenever he would leave the manor alone - this was done in anticipation of the coming years, who were permitted entry into the manor, how such permission could be acquired, and other matters regarding security.

When all of the primary details that Danzo was supposed to handle had been addressed, the woman that answered the door for him earlier brought in tea and snacks and set them down on the table. Taking a cup of her own, she took the empty seat to Danzo's left - the one that faced the open window - and sat down, drinking her tea as the rays of the setting sun flittered through the leaves of the trees outside and into the now darkening sitting room.

Not expecting what he thought was a servant girl to join them in the room, Danzo found himself observing her:

She was a girl of eighteen, her brown hair falling just past her shoulders while she had part of it up in the same topknot Namikaze wore. What he saw earlier as brown eyes were closed right now as she drank the tea, a little bit of purple from the markings on her cheeks showing behind the teacup. There was something about this girl that he found rather familiar. Normally, he would peg her as someone he had worked before, but she was too young. Perhaps she was someone who's documents he has had to process before? His position had allowed him to see to certain clerical duties whenever the Hokage was otherwise too preoccupied to do so, after all.

"I am thankful for your patience, Shimura-san." Namikaze's words brought Danzo out of his pseudo-revery and brought his attention back to the situation at hand. "I do believe you remember our companion here." He gestured to the woman seated beside them. She was no longer drinking tea now, and was instead looking at him with a small smile. "You processed her retirement several years ago, actually, sometime near the end of the war."

Ah, that does make sense, then. He remembers her now. She looked very different back then: shorter hair, ragged features; she looked like she had lost her teammates. From the reports he read of her missions prior to her application for retirement, she had lost a teammate from her old genin team and several other teammates in the missions that followed. Yes, he could understand why she might have wanted to retire from the ninja business after that.

But here she was now, no longer a child, and it seems she's seen quite a few things in the years she hasn't been in Konoha.

Standing up, the girl gave Danzo a bow.

"It has been a while, Shimura-dono. I am please to be in Konoha gain, and I am heartened to have been given the responsibility of taking care of Minato-sensei's only son despite the regretful events surrounding my assignment." She stood straight and sent him an almost radiant smile. Yes, Danzo was certain the girl that had asked her teacher to retire her from the service was gone now.

"I am Nohara Rin, and I am honored to be of service."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I am sure you have realized, this work is AU. A very, very, very, heavy AU. The main goal of this chapter was to establish what initial changes I want you guys to know about.
> 
> I hope this was an interesting read for you.


	3. Renewing Fire

Year: 595 F.S. (One year later)

"The Kaguya have proven themselves unstable, unreliable."

Zabuza remembers those words from his mission briefing several days ago.

He looked down from the tree he was hiding in, the still figures of his companions in the branches of the other nearby trees. The village was mostly asleep now, only the dimly-lit lanterns illuminating the streets. The moon had hidden behind the clouds tonight, perhaps unwilling to bear witness to what he and his companions were about to commit.

"And word has been getting around that they aren't exactly happy with having a capital that has power over them - even if it's just on paper."

The last year had been rather unsavory for him - for most of Kiri in general, really. Just as Terumi had said, dissident factions had immediately moved to destabilize Kirigakure in the short-lived power vacuum created when the Lady could no longer keep Yagura-sama's death under wraps.

The first week had been the bloodiest, and it had cemented the level of fragility peace in the Land of Water still had despite the second civil war ending years ago. If things had played out just a little bit differently, Yagura-sama's most cared-for person would be dead and Water would be facing another civil war.

It also taught him to greatly respect the resolve that held Terumi had when things all went to hell.

There was sudden movement underneath him. Looking down, he saw two Kaguya clanspeople - a man and a woman - walking down the little street that Zabuza and his companions were keeping watch over. They were standing rather close to each other while they walked, probably either lovers or spouses.

This was the first sign of movement they had seen in the last hour that they spent observing the village for movement.

They were rather careless to have their guard this low despite making it no secret that they had intentions of attacking the capitol. Either this meant that they were supremely confident in their abilities and the fear that the rest of the nation showed, or they were insane.

Zabuza decided that they were both before signaling to his three companions.

It was time they started this.

"I need this dealt with before they can start any actual conflict, Zabuza-san. Wipe out all of these battle-mad clansmen."

The man only had enough time to gasp as he was impaled upon Kubikiribocho and was quickly followed by Zabuza slitting his throat.

The woman, meanwhile snarled and was preparing to attack him when she was run through by two katana. Zabuza's companions pulled their blades out of her, one of them having placed a gauntleted hand on her face to keep her from crying out. Her muffled cries soon silenced with a quick and experienced slice across her windpipe.

The first casualties of the night dead, the two of the three hooded warriors he had been given to assist him in this operation looked to him for additional instructions. The third was still in the trees above them along with his other companion from Kirigakure: Ringo Ameyuri.

Ameyuri was younger than him by three years - thirteen to Zabuza's sixteen, round face and red hair held back by her forehead protector and those two ribbons tied strangely to the sides of her head so those parts of her hair pointed up and down like brushes.

Maybe there was something about recent fashion that he wasn't really following.

He could see her inside the darkness of the tree, though. Her eyes wide with surprise at the sudden ruthlessness he displayed at dispatching these two seemingly-innocent townspeople. It left part of him wishing that she didn't have to be here for this, especially since she just arrived from out of the country several days ago.

They had almost lost her, Terumi had told him; the girl was deathly sick of something that none of the local doctors or medicine men could identify or treat. The Lady had gotten desperate enough to ask for help from someone outside the country.

It was just before the announcement of the previous Mizukage's death that she had been thrown into a carriage with several bodyguards and summarily carted off to some place unknown. She had been confined there for almost a year since then until she returned almost a month ago, apparently having been given a clean bill of health.

This was her first mission since then. Terumi just had to pick one that would haunt the younger girl for the rest of her life.

She came down when he signalled for her, the last of their three cloaked companions remaining in the tree to keep watch for any approaching people.

"You know why we're here, right?"

Ameyuri nodded, eyes shining with a bit of fear in the lantern-light. She wasn't new to killing, Zabuza knew, but never had she been required to participate in what was technically the slaughter of an entire clan.

"I'm sorry that you had to be here, but this is something we need to do. Are you ready?"

He almost smiled at her then. She was one of the Shinobi-swordsmen, weidler of Kiba, and considered one of the best ninja they had.

When she nodded again, Zabuza looked to their two companions on the ground and nodded to them.

It was time to start.

All five of them were quick and efficient, breaking down the front door with a well-placed kick and the others rushing in with whirling blades; blood would stain the sheets of the sleeping and splatter all over tables and floors of those that were unfortunate enough to be awake. Those that could fight back did so, though not too effectively. Many of them were sluggish, drunk, or lazy; while it was the Hour of the Rat, but it was still no excuse.

Poor excuses for warriors, the members of this clan were.

It would be five houses and over fifteen kills later, they came upon their first house with a child inside. It was a young boy of three, white hair that he seemed to have inherited from his now-dead mother - both parents had put up quite the fight, requiring Ameyuri to actually step in to help him as their three other companions moved into the next house to keep things moving.

He was asleep for now, but he could awake at any moment if they weren't careful.

"Keep the children alive, though. Especially those you think are young enough to have not been taught the ways of that accursed clan."

"He looks to be young enough." Ameyuri whispered into his ear. He would like to think he agreed. The others would surely find other children as they cut through the village, but those would probably be younger. At five years old, the Kaguya were already known to be rather battle-hungry.

Ameyuri didn't say the one thing she really meant to tell him with her statement, though:

Please don't make me kill little children.

The sentiment made Zabuza quite happy. It told him that Terumi was right in sending her here instead of Munashi Jinpachi or Kuriarare Kushimaru. Those two would have probably blown up the buildings and gotten the children killed, and either not cared or celebrated it. Looking to Ameyuri, he smiled from beneath his mask.

"Put him under and let's get him out of here. We still have the rest of this godsforsaken place to deal with."

Ameyuri approached the boy and reached into her sleeve and sprinkling a dust over the boy's face. It was a little medicine they had been given for the purpose of liberating the children of the village. The boy should be out for at least the next few hours which should give them enough time to finish off the rest of the clan, and get the children to their extraction point.

Almost half an hour, thirty extracted children, and over a hundred and fifty dead later, Zabuza stood at the center of the silent village with Ameyuri standing next to him. Blood ran through the streets, wooden splinters scattered all over the open doorways, and corpses were everywhere.

"Oh, and do please make sure it looks like an accident. I know there will be many that will attribute this event to me, but there is no need to make it that obvious."

When Zabuza asked Terumi Mei what she meant by this, she had looked at the candle that stood at one side of her table and cupped the fire with her hand.

"Fire is an interesting thing, Momochi Zabuza-san."

The fire had followed her hand as she held it up in front of him, now a tongue dancing across her palm.

"It destroys many things it touches, yet leaves the land clean in its wake. Fire cleanses, Z Momochi Zabuza; fire purifies."

She had then looked at him pointedly, and he thought he saw a goddess judging the unworthy as the little tongue of flame burst forth into a fireball bright enough to light the room.

"Fire purges."

~TtT~

The trip back had been a silent one. The children had been picked up by another group that was posing as a travelling caravan while Zabuza, Ameyuri, and the three foreign sentinels were given horses. They would bring the children to the village and brought to an orphanage - At least that's what he'd been told, but he felt like he could trust Terumi regarding these things.

The village was bright now despite the late hour. People mulling about, drinking, talking, partying, and just living their lives. Their work over the last year was paying off. The Land of Water was managing to remain stable, though there were still problems that existed just beneath the surface. Zabuza found himself not minding; it was his job to make sure that trouble never made it out, after all.

Once again, the Mizukage's tower was perhaps the one thing in the village that wasn't visibly lit. Ironic considering Terumi was usually at her busiest after the sun had set.

"When I was younger, I was always told that the Kaguya clan were fearsome warriors that were a great asset to the village and that I should avoid fighting one whenever I could." Ameyuri said as the two of them navigated through the halls of the tower proper, searching for the right staircase that would lead them to the top floor.

Zabuza nodded, responding: "A lot of us heard of them, I think. They were among the clans that helped the first Mizukage forge this village before they set out to make a little village of their own. No one really forgot how strong of a bloodline they were, and it might have been a factor in all the bloodline hate that many people felt all those years ago."

Her lips pursed, though she kept walking. She kept her eyes downcast as she spoke her next words:

"I just didn't think it would be so easy. I remember my mom telling me scary stories about them and how they'd carry me away if I was bad." It was then that she looked at him. Her brows were furrowed. "We took out their entire village with five people, Zabuza-senpai. We were two of the Seven Swordsmen and three of the scariest samurai I had ever seen, but still, that clan could strike fear into the heart of the entire nation." Both of them had stopped walking at this point, both pausing at one of the tower's many hallways.

Part of Zabuza understood how she felt. The past year had made apparent to him that not everything was as stable as it could be. He learned of Yagura's fall, the sudden rise of the former Mizukage's fourteen-year-old companion, the fear that managed to so quickly engulf the village as everyone inside began to fear the arrival of yet another civil war.

"The last year's made me see lots of things I thought we'd never see. Between infiltrators getting into high command, and the 'disappearances' of some of our more... disagreeable allies, I have to say, things have gotten a lot weirder." He shrugged as he looked into the red and gold lights that shone through the mists.

"It isn't just war anymore, is it?" Ameyuri responded, her lips pursing together before she, too, joined him at the windowsill. "It used to be just fighting, now we actually have to figure out who our enemies are."

"Figures they'd get tired of open fighting after they saw what happened during the last civil war. Luckily Terumi-sama seems to be in her element handling all of the cloak and dagger." Zabuza found himself looking at his companion at that. Ameyuri, herself, had been a beneficiary of Terumi's.

When the girl found out that she was sick - or rather been discovered collapsed in her quarters by the staff working at her residence, Mei had very recently returned from the countryside where Yagura had died. The younger girl had quickly arranged to send Ameyuri off to some of Yagura's relatives. Whatever it was that had been afflicting the girl had been rather serious as she was gone for almost all of the following year.

"Granted though, Ameyuri," He smiled through his mask, partially hoping the girl would see it in his eyes. "You're still here thanks to all of Terumi-sama's cloak and dagger."

She looked away. "I'm not supposed to be alive anymore, senpai." He caught her looking into the distant lights of the village, her eyes contemplative. "I was taken to the local hospital first while they tried to figure out what was wrong with me, and I learned that it was a disease that had no known cure - at least nothing that they had access to as they were.

"Terumi-sama sent me out of the country then. She had apparently known people that were doing some very advanced research into medicine. They didn't have medical ninja, Zabuza-senpai; they had doctors, with all of the fancy titles and stuff, too."

He saw her took a deep breath before she continued:

"They kept me under observation for weeks, giving me some medication I couldn't recognize to keep me stabilized while they studied me, and whatever it was that was killing me. It was a few months before they could actually start purging the sickness and even longer before they would let me go around the area unassisted - I was happy to no longer be bedridden by the time the treatments started, though. Whatever it was they had been giving me until then seemed to have managed to keep whatever I had at bay so that I didn't suffer any long-term damage."

She looked back at him, smiling now.

"Did you know Yagura-sama had relatives, Zabuza-senpai? Apparently Terumi-sama was acquainted with them."

That, Zabuza did not know. He remembered the woman that was with Terumi that night the last told him that the Mizukage was dead, but she had been introduced as a friend. Perhaps that 'friend' of her's was there as a member of whatever clan it was that Yagura was part of?

"They're good people, and apparently quite wealthy, too." Ameyuri continued, unaware of the questions that Zabuza did not voice. "The whole time I was there, they made sure I had someone to keep me company, and even showed me around the grounds of the complex I was staying in. It was a lovely place, and perhaps the largest single-residence I had ever been to. And there were so many people!"

Perhaps that was how Terumi managed to gain the funding for all of the samurai she had brought in since she'd gone on her little crusade to nip the coming chaos in the bud.

The two resumed their walk, the three samurai that had accompanied them had probably gone on ahead. They didn't really seem to mind that the two ninja had taken some time for a quiet conversation, and for that, Zabuza was grateful.

Ameyuri was a good girl. Hardened as she might have become - her apparent, short-lived, shock at managing to bring an old and powerful clan low notwithstanding - she was perhaps one of the kinder members of the Seven Swordsmen.

"Where were you brought? Terumi-sama never mentioned…" He kept his statement open, hoping the girl would tell him.

The girl was thoughtful for a moment, her head tilting to one side as she once again looked out into the village through one of the windows they were passing.

"I think I was brought to Amegakure or somewhere close by. I remember trees around the complex and two mountains that I could see in the distance if I was looking from the top floor of my building. I tried looking up the two mountains, and the only ones that seemed to match how they look were the Futago-zan - the twin mounts - of the Land of Rain."

"Yagura-sama's clan originated from Amegakure?"

A shake of the head was the reply he received. "The people I met weren't ninja at all. They were merchants, workers, doctors, magistrates. It seems Yagura-sama was one of the rare members of their bloodline that decided to take up being a shinobi. I'm not even sure they're a clan, senpai." As she said this, the pair found the next set of staircases that they were meant to take up to Terumi's office and begun their climb again.

As Ameyuri and Zabuza traversed the last hallway before entering the Mizukage's private garden, he found himself wondering if there would ever be a time he was in this area when it wasn't dark, and if perhaps Terumi would ever decide on using an office that did not require him to traverse the staircase maze scattered across the tower.

Hopefully when things were more peaceful.

As it always was whenever Zabuza needed to meet with the lady Terumi, the office was kept almost entirely dark with only the candles immediately around the acting village head's desk. Unlike most of his meetings with the younger girl that he now recognized as his superior, he was not alone.

For besides Ameyuri that came in by his side, Momochi Zabuza saw every member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist present; the other five members standing around the girl's desk.

"Ah, Momochi." Terumi called to him using his last name, having noticed his entry despite how dark it was - not that Zabuza had made any effort to really hide his entry. "Good of you to finally join us. Please, come closer."

Silently, both swordsmen approached the desk - and with it, the rest of their colleagues.

Now standing directly in front of Terumi Mei, Ameyuri Ameyuri was directly to Zabuza's left. Opposite Ameyuri - on Zabuza's right, was Akebino Jinin.

In his late thirties, Akebino Jinin was perhaps the most senior of the current generation of Shinobi Swordsmen. His predecessor had passed on the weapons and title to him when the latter had died of the same mysterious sickness that had nearly killed Ameyuri. Despite the older man's slight height advantage over Zabuza, the younger swordsman always felt that Akebino appeared shorter at first glance - something which probably had to do with the way the man's head appeared: A square jaw decorated with a circle beard and the beginnings of a chin-strap that wasn't all that there. The round-looking bandana - decorated with the Kirigakure forehead protector - lead up to a samurai's topknot made the top of his head appear a bit egg-shaped.

The large poncho-looking thing he wore over everything just served to make him appear even smaller; only the older man's arm warmers, the bottoms of his pants, and sandals could really be seen. His weapon of choice, a hammer-axe combination referred to as the Kabutowari, was strapped to his back.

Perhaps trying to appear so small had been something that Akebino did intentionally for the sake of tricking his opponents into underestimating him. If it worked, however, Zabuza could not tell.

He never met anyone that survived an encounter with the man, after all.

To the left of Akebino was a man whose long, brown hair was tied in strands that fell to his neck and was decorated with beads. Despite actually being shorter than Akebino, this man managed to appear taller by wearing clothing that wasn't as wide and by actually standing straight; something Akebino sometimes neglected to do. The man's head was wrapped in bandages with his forehead protector over them. Directly below the aforementioned forehead protector was an eyepatch that covered his left eye. His beard was parted in two and decorated with the same beads that adorned his hair, and fell past the bandages around his neck that were worn in the same style everyone in their group did: loosely wrapped around the neck and allowed to spread across the shoulder and upper chest.

He wore a pinstriped shirt with long, wide sleeves and hem that was a quarter of the way to his knees.

It was Munashi Jinpachi, wielder of Shibuki, the blasting sword. The weapon in question was less a sword and more a large metal plate attached to a roller that ran the length of where the blade should have been.

Beside him, on the furthest right of Zabuza, was Munashi's sometimes friend sometimes enemy Kuriarare Kushimaru.

Unlike the other members of the Seven Swordsmen, Kuriarare wore the mask that was common to the ANBU corps of the village; his own mask decorated with a green diamond that started where his nose would be and ended at the tip of his mask's chin. Around the mask was a large head of messy, blond, hair that surrounded his head like a cloud, with the bandages coming down right below the chin and ending just shy of his shoulders.

His lanky build made him appear even taller than his already noticeable height advantage showed. His simple outfit of a black, sleeveless, skin-tight bodysuit that ended at his knees where the leg-warmers began, only served to emphasize this. Around the back of his waist was a black piece of cloth that appeared almost like coat-tails, though not quite.

On his back was the long, needle-like sword: Nuibari.

To Zabuza's left, past Ameyuri, were the remaining two members of the Seven Swordsmen, the younger members of the group, actually.

Beside Ameyuri stood Hozuki Mangetsu, one of the youngest members to join the Seven Swordsmen since the beginning of the organization shortly before the founding of the village. At the tender age of ten years old, Hozuki was a little thing; standing even shorter than Ameyuri, straight, white hair falling just past his chin framing a face that Zabuza knew would become quite the heart-breaker in a few years. Partially covered by his bangs was his forehead protector.

Inquisitive white eyes - ones that had funnily enough been mistaken for Konohagakure's Byakugan on occasion - flitted from Terumi to the other occupants of the room.

Strapped to the boy's back was the heaviest of the swords utilized by their group: Hiramekarei, a fish-shaped weapon wider than the breadth of the boy's shoulders. It was strange to see a boy so small using a weapon of that size and Zabuza found himself mildly worrying for the boy's growth.

On the far end of Zabuza's left side was the last member, Hoshigaki Kisame.

A strange thing, Hoshigaki was a testament to some of the abnormal things that could come out of the woodwork as far as shinobi were concerned. Blue skin, blue hair, fish-like eyes, and angular markings that ran down the side of his cheek made the man look more like a fish than a human being.

Granted the boy's predecessor - and Zabuza had no illusions about the older shinobi's adulthood considering the latter's seventeen years of life - Suikazan Fubuki - was less fish-like in appearance with his dusky skin, red hair, and great proportions, though no less monstrous.

Hoshigaki was perhaps the second-newest inductee to the Seven Swordsmen having only received the position shortly after Fubuki's own death after being discovered committing treason and the late swordsman's passing on of the sword to his long-time protégé. It helped that it was Hoshigaki himself that had discovered the act.

If only the timing could have been better.

Behind the junior swordsman was the sentient and temperamental sword, Samehada; a living blade covered in sharpened scales that consumed chakra and fed it to its wielder. Known for being as monstrous as its current master, the sword even had teeth and could sometimes be heard conversing with the older swordsman.

Right now, of course, it was wrapped in bandages, the same bandages that Hoshigaki - unlike the rest of his contemporaries within their group - did not wear around his neck, or any part of his body, really; opting instead to wear the same sleeveless one piece uniform that Kuriarare favored with pinstriped gloves and leg warmers. His forehead protector was of the that could function as earmuffs to keep him warm.

Zabuza's attention was brought back to Terumi Mei when the latter addressed the former's now-teammate:

"Ringo, I trust that your first mission with Momochi went well?"

Terumi Mei had grown in the last year as well. Now fifteen, the village's acting head had grown a little taller and her figure a little fuller, part of her hair still tied in the same topknot she had worn since Yagura had introduced her into Kirigakure society and fell to just past her shoulders. Since assuming her duties - though no official position had been taken yet as, to the general public, she was merely acting on the instructions left by Yagura prior to his passing. She had grown to prefer wearing a more traditional attire: A Yukata of deep blue that was decorated with golden vines and purple flowers. At the edges of the sleeves and the bottom of the skirt were gems that had been sown on with golden string to form a pattern of another flower, this one different from the rest of the ones that decorated her outfit.

Its petals were made of jade and the center of the flower made of topaz. It was the very flower that Yagura had carried with him on his staff until his death - or so he had been told.

Beside him, Ameyuri put on a wide smile and gave the acting village head a shallow bow. "Yes, Terumi-sama." Then, as though she remembered just what they had done that night, her brows creased, and the smile that had so quickly come to her face at attention of the one that she had considered her savior faded. "The mission, we-"

She was stopped by a raised hand from the older girl, finally pulling her hands from her sleeves and showing to Zabuza that she was wearing black gloves. He couldn't identify the material from where he stood, however.

"I am happy to see you alive and well, Ringo-san. Welcome back to Kirigakure." She returned the smile that had been briefly sent her way with a genuine one. "And you as well, Momochi. We shall have your debriefing shortly as I have an announcement to make first." And like Ameyuri, the expression had quickly disappeared to be replaced with stiff lips and glossed-over eyes. That was the cold expression Zabuza had grown to associate with her acting as their leader; the leader that was willing to get into so much unsavory business to ensure that peace would be maintained within the village and the country.

Terumi stood and swept her gaze across the room, her eyes meeting those of every member of the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen.

"I met with our Daimyo this morning. The man has apparently been keeping a close eye on the village since news of Lord Yagura's death went public. He also seems quite happy with my leadership insofar as the last year is considered."

"He was, in fact, pleased enough with my leadership to grant me executive powers over the village."

She paused here, looking to each of the swordsmen as though checking them for any form of response to the news.

Zabuza tried to look around subtly, not wanting to be seen trying to gather information in such a setting. Unfortunately, it didn't look like any tells were being shown, and based on how Terumi eventually sat down, it appeared that she hadn't seen anything, either.

Akebino was the first to speak, stepping forward: "Does that mean that you'll be inaugurated as the next Mizukage soon, Terumi-sama?"

Eyes still cold, Terumi raised an eyebrow before her lips broke into a small smirk.

"Why yes, Akebino-san. I shall be making the announcement first thing tomorrow morning. We shall probably have the inauguration in a few weeks once things have time to die down." Akebino replied to this with a deep bow at the waist and stepped back into the half-circle.

Terumi's eyes turned from Akebino and now focused on Ameyuri and Zabuza: "Now that I've given the first of my news, Ringo, Momochi. Please share with us the outcome of tonight's mission."

And so Ameyuri and Zabuza related their personal experiences regarding the... massacre of the Kaguya clan, for what else could it have been but a massacre? The clan wasn't given a chance to respond, their own arrogance allowing their security to slack, and what few guards they did have were dispatched before they could take a single step towards the village proper. They spoke of how the children were knocked out and passed to the caravan that was to enter the village in a few hours and how all the evidence to the mission - bar the paperwork - was burned in the fire that consumed the corpses of every adult Kaguya that had lived in the village.

Unlike the news Terumi related regarding her pending ascension to the rank of Mizukage, the information regarding the elimination of the Kaguya wild card had garnered more reactions:

Akebino and Hozuki raised their eyebrows, openly staring at Zabuza and Ameyuri. Zabuza thought that it could have been because this was their first time hearing of Terumi taking preemptive action against a faction that did not exist within the village.

Munashi and Kuriarare had scoffed at certain times during the report and Zabuza could see the beginnings of a smirk on Munashi's face, but with a timely pursing of his lips, the older man had kept it from fully manifesting.

Hoshigaki stayed strangely neutral, the monster-man's eyes looking over the other people in the room in much the same matter that Terumi's were when people had started reacting to the order.

After both Ameyuri and Zabuza had finished their report, Terumi took the floor, this time remaining seated.

"I understand that you might have found this order shocking," She began, once again looking to each of the seven as she spoke. "But consider it a necessary evil. My spies had uncovered a possible plot of the Kaguya clan to attack Kirigakure, and as we are now, we would have been at a disadvantage. Even if we did win, it would have left more doubts in the minds of the people. I trust that you all remember what we have been working towards this past year?"

Of course they remembered. It was hard to forget moving through the village at night, paying visits to those would have caused trouble in the wake of the death of Yagura the Wise.

Granted, Zabuza had never been told by Terumi that the Kaguya had been planning to attack the village so soon. That would have given him a little more urgency when they executed the order earlier tonight.

"In a time as unstable as ours, it was crucial that the people felt safe, essential that there would be no unnecessary bloodshed - for if the Kaguya had in fact found the opportunity to attack the village, we would have lost many fighters staving them off; I have no doubt that we would have eventually defeated them, but not without a cost."

Terumi gestured to the objects hanging on the wall behind her, the portrait of Yagura sitting on a hill overlooking a forest, neither of which Zabuza could identify the location of. Below the portrait sat two axes crossed over on a weapon rack.

"The Kaguya have a tradition of war, one that they have passed down from generation to generation since before the Shinobi Nations were founded." She leaned against her table now, her elbows resting on top of her desk and her fingers intertwined as she continued. "In times of war: the Warring Clans period, the first three Great Shinobi Wars that was good for them. Their aggression and ferocity a boon that kept the other nations out of our business while we had to focus on sorting ourselves out as a village and a people.

"Now, however, peace looks like it might be here to stay, and this leaves the Kaguya without an outlet for their aggressive urges. If left unchecked, they would turn to the one thing that they could get a decent fight from: the village. I could not let that happen, and so I had Momochi and Ringo deal with them.

"As for the children," Terumi took a breath and once again leaned back into her chair, her hands resting on the chair's armrests. "It would be a shame for such an ancient and iconic bloodline to fade because of something as simple as national security. Which is why I had these two-" She gestured to Zabuza and Ameyuri. "-Kidnap the children in the guise of saving them from the fire that consumed their little community; those children are to be raised in the village as members of our society - ideally. I hope that taking them while they are young enough will have prevented them from being indoctrinated into the self-destructive culture of the Kaguya clan that would have - without a doubt - wiped them out in the long run."

Terumi stood then, walking towards one of the two windows that flanked her desk. Looking through the glass, she whispered loud enough for everyone in the room to hear:

"Besides, the children have done no wrong, there is little reason for them to die for mistakes they didn't make."

"You are very kind, Terumi-sama." It was Hozuki that spoke, giving their superior a shallow bow.

The girl looked at the younger ninja, a smirk dancing across her lips for a short moment.

"Thank you for the compliment, Hozuki." Her next movement was sharp, very unlike the little, somber, moment that had come over her when she discussed the children. She turned back towards the desk and stooed behind it with both her hands on the polished, wooden surface. "Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for others."

Terumi's eyes were cold once more, sweeping across the room and scrutinizing each of the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen present.

"Over the course of the last year, we have managed to prevent the village from plunging into chaos. One of the things that we learned as we dealt with this was that the majority of those that had been moving to seize power had been malcontents, factions that were not satisfied with Yagura's rule, and those that supported him.

"The first few months, we tried to get in contact with them, perhaps learn of what they wanted and see if we could come to a compromise. Thankfully we were able to come to an understanding with some.

"Not everyone had reasonable goals as far as the village was concerned, however; some were still very vehement haters of the ninja clans and their respective bloodlines, others wanting the restoration of some of our older traditions - the restoration of the Bloody Mist."

Terumi's upper lip curled into a sneer, her distaste very apparent and making her appear older than she was.

"And then there were the assassination attempts." She shrugged. "Of course, some of those couldn't be helped, so we dealt with them.

"Eventually, however, the more aggressive elements of village politics were no longer tolerable, so I've had just about all of you present here - " Her hands spread across the room, gesturing to the seven standing in the half-circle. "- dispatch the most disagreeable of them."

"It is sad to learn that not all of you here have as much self control as your betters." Green eyes the color of the sea glared in the direction of Munashi and Kuriarare. Zabuza saw them stiffen, Terumi, however, continued speaking.

"The Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist were founded when the village was established. Since that time, the organization has been given special privileges such as automatic permission to act independently during missions and quite a bit of leniency when deviating from orders.

"This kind of leeway allowed people like Hoshigaki's predecessor, Suikazan Fuguki, to very easily get away with selling information to other villages."

It was only this time that Turned to look at the rest of them, appearing like the largest person in the room despite her slight build.

"In light of the rampant abuse of power that the Seven Swordsmen are known to practice along with the betrayals committed by your predecessors using the powers granted to you by your positions, I am hereby disbanding your organization and relegating each of you to the position of Tokubetsu Jounin."

Time seemed to slow down after this announcement was made, with three of the present swordsmen - the veterans on Zabuza's right - all burst into motion.

Munashi pulled out two kunai from his sleeves and burst towards their would-be Mizukage with clear intent to kill, a snarl on his face.

To the aforementioned man's right, Kuriarare was reaching into his weapon's pouch.

Akebino was the first to react, more observant of his fellow swordsmen than the others in the room were. The older man bent his knees to lower his center of gravity and swung his right arm out towards Munashi's midsection.

Zabuza instinctively moved for Kubikiribocho and only realized after his right hand was on the sword's handle that it wouldn't do him any good in a space as enclosed as this. His left hand went for the set of kunai he had holstered on his leg, but he wouldn't be able to reach for it in time to get a shot in for Kuriarare.

Akebino might have had Munashi covered, but the taller swordsman was unopposed, too far for anyone else in the room to reach.

When time seemed to have returned to normal, Munashi was on the ground with Akebino's forearm to the former's throat and a kunai pressed to his belly.

A sound of clanging metal and breaking class could be heard.

Turning to Terumi's desk, Zabuza saw that the acting village head had blocked the kunai that Kuriarare had lunged her with and had the man on the floor with her foot on his abdomen.

"Munashi Jinpachi, Kuriarare Kushimaru," Terumi began, bringing the tanto she now held in her left hand - one Zabuza had not seen on her person when they walked in - down on Kuriarare's right wrist and impaling the limb to the floor; this was followed with a short gasp and a sudden silence that told Zabuza that Kuriarare had just barely stopped himself from screaming. "The both of you are hereby charged with corruption, abuse of power, and treason." She brought her foot down again on the man's chest while her right hand reached for the desk and retrieved another tanto that had been hidden behind it, and brought it down on the tall man's left arm when it stilled upon the impact of her stomp.

If Terumi was going to say anything else, she was interrupted when Ameyuri gasped.

"Hoshigaki's gone."

Zabuza turned to the window on the far left side of the room, the same one that Terumi had approached briefly during her recounting of the actions they had taken this past year.

The glass was now shattered and Hoshigaki Kisame could no longer be seen.

The momentary distraction had been enough for Munashi to make an attempt to escape, using one hand grab Akebino's kunai-wielding one and using his knee to push the older man off. The wielder of Shibuki had been in the process of pushing himself to his feet with his right hand when Zabuza had forgone the use of weapons and rushed at him with a fist.

The strike impacted the former Swordsman in the jaw, knocking him to the side of an already-recovering Akebino Jinin. Zabuza followed this initial attack up with a kick to the ribs, forcing a strangled gasp from his once-senior.

Seconds later, Munashi Jinpachi had the axehead of the Kabutowari - Akebino's signature weapon - at his throat and the hammer raised just above it, ready to execute him.

"Don't do anything dumb, Jin." The most senior member of what used to be the Seven Swordsmen spat. "I'd rather not kill you."

Zabuza's attention was brought back to Terumi when she called out to the ceiling of the room:

"Find him! Have all of the exits to the village watched, especially the pipelines!" There was shuffling in the darkness, flashes of red cloaks could be seen as the windows to the observatory above them were opened and five or six creatures leapt into the night. Terumi shouted after them as they left: "I want that bastard found and brought to me! He has information on Yagura, I just know it!"

She looked down at Kuriarare, and then at Munashi.

"I will deal with you, later."

Several guards entered the room after that, and took two of the would-be assassins away. Zabuza, Ameyuri, Akebino, and Hozuki stayed with Terumi as her acting guards for the night while the search for Hoshigaki Kisame happened outside.

That was how the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist, a tradition that had existed since the founding of Kirigakure, was abolished.

~TtT~

Nohara Rin's brown eyes met the shining gold of the shorthair cat. Running her hand through the creature's black fur, she greeted it:

"Hello there, Nobunaga." The cat closed its eyes and purred at the attention. "I hope you have been behaving well?"

The creaking of a door being opened preceded the reply:

"He's a very willful one, your cat." It was the voice that seemed to quaver, but more because of age than weakness. "He's been here a few weeks, and he's already managed to make it clear to the others who's in charge." She approached and took the seat across from Rin on the windowside table. Looking at the younger girl, the lady of the house said: "He misses you, Rin-chan."

A lady in her late sixties, the master of the house had aged gracefully, her face managing to keep away the worst of the wrinkles except for laugh lines and a mild case of crow's feet. Her hair, now white, was tied into a high bun that was decorated with a golden, jewel-encrusted flower.

She was dressed in a plain sky-blue kimono decorated with white rings scattered along the sleeves.

Rin returned her host's smile and lifted Nobunaga so he could rest in her arms. "I am sorry if this little one has been causing you so much trouble. I had no idea he was such a headstrong little thing." Which Rin found interesting because Nobunaga had just managed to roll itself in her grasp and now she was petting his belly instead of his back.

How fickle.

The old woman's jade eyes shone with mirth upon seeing the cat just melt in Rin's arms. "You seem to be able to keep him in check, though. Considering the little boy you've been raising this past year, I'm not surprised. Naruto-chan is a very willful toddler, himself." Rin shrugged, smirking. She had found the cat wandering the road leading up the mountain, and thought that the master of the house would be able to take care of it. She couldn't say she had been too confident about picking up a cat on top of taking care of a baby boy.

While a very lovely place and more than comfortable enough, the house Rin lived in was such a large complex. The residence was designed to house an entire family, and perhaps even two more after that - as Namikaze Gendo, had intended that the building be able to support two or three generations of Namikaze when the family had finally taken root in Konoha.

It was perhaps only natural that Rin would find it lonely to live there with only her little charge.

"Iam also aware that things can get very lonely in that big house." Her companion spoke as though reading her mind. The lady had a melancholic smile on her face as she continued: "I think Nobunaga could do more good with you. I know that you said you might not have been ready to care for a pet," She waved off Rin's protest before it could be voiced. "But I already have over ten of the little pretties taking care of me, a much smaller house, and you're already helping me out here whenever you come by. I am sure that you'll do fine. I am thankful that you and Naruto-chan visit me to keep me company - especially when my own children don't seem to have it in them to keep their old mother updated on the happenings of the outside world. This mountain can be so isolated most times."

Rin was very much aware of that. The last year she shared with Naruto had been very peaceful because of it, with only occasional visitors coming by; she and the child spent quite a bit of time visiting here as a result.

"Thank you, Haruno-san." The former kunoichi gave the lady a shallow bow. Looking down at the cat in her arms - Nobunaga having turned back face-down when Rin stopped petting him - Rin smirked at it before saying: "Did you hear that, Nobunaga? It looks like you'll be coming home with me after all." In response to this the cat gave her a meow, and quickly crawled up her arm and crossed the back of her neck to sit on her left shoulder.

Haruno Nabiki laughed upon seeing this. "I think everything's going to work out just fine, Rin-chan." The old woman pushed her chair back and moved to stand. Turning to the door she said: "Come, I'm sure Naruto-chan is wreaking havoc upon the rest of my poor cats."

Smiling, Rin moved to follow her out the door.

Funnily enough that had actually been true. Rin and Nabiki found Naruto chasing down the clowder of cats across the sitting room, sometimes climbing up the couch, sometimes falling down to the floor again. Rin found herself staring at the boy as he chased the agitated felines. While it was rather common for Naruto to be doing that, the other thing he was doing was something Rin had been trying to get him to do since she found Nobunaga weeks before:

Naruto was walking.

"Oh my." Nabiki whispered to herself, appearing happily surprised with the development.

Rin merely rushed to the boy and brought him up in her arms.

"Naruto!" The caretaker smiled down at the boy. "You're walking!" The child laughed in response, not having picked up on words quite yet, his blue eyes sparkling in a way that made Rin almost think that the boy was aware of the huge step he made, both figuratively and literally. She cooed and snuggled the child close to her neck.

The past year had been a busy one, if more peaceful than what Rin had gotten used to. She hadn't had to leave the village - leave the mountain at all, actually - and it gave her something she hadn't ever been given the chance to get used to: actual stability. She spent her days taking care of the child in her arms, and when she wasn't, she was studying, training, or maintaining correspondence with Minato's mother and older brother.

At least once a week, High Councilor Shimura Danzo would pop by with supplies and a short inquiry regarding their security and comfort. Sometimes, Rin would be able to get him to stay for a little longer, and he'd discuss some of the things going on at work with her. Sometimes, he'd regale her with stories from his youth with Sarutobi Hiruzen, the third Hokage, and even told her a few tales of the Namikaze family's first generation.

Every few months or so, her student would come by and she would check on how his own studies had progressed; occasionally, they'd discuss what little personal life he'd been allowing himself, and the state of the orphanage that he'd come from.

Lately, however, he'd been speaking of being assigned to a new, more long-term post. One that might cause him to be away far more frequently. Rin - trying to be the good teacher - encouraged him to go for the opportunity, noting that it would be an excellent chance for him to improve his craft and learn from other masters as well.

Timidly, he told her where this post was going to be, and, upon hearing who he was to be working under, Rin laughed.

"Enjoy yourself, then." She had told him, offering him a cup of tea. "It'll be a very active lifestyle and you'll get to travel the world much more than you already have been, I'm sure. I am absolute faith that you shall be able to maintain this position for as long as you are required to, and you shall continue to surpass expectations. You are my student, after all."

With this reassurance, she sent him off to report back to the head office for his next assignment. She hasn't heard from him directly since, but has been informed of his doings, which was to be expected considering his current situation.

During the lulls where not even her student or Shimura were around, she had encountered the lady Haruno, having met her when she was out in the gardens with Naruto one day so the boy could get some sun, that she had been called to by who was apparently their neighbor. She invited them over for outdoor tea, and since the hidden guards posted around the compound didn't seem to have any problem with the old lady, she decided to give it a try, taking care to check the tea for anything first.

That first invitation lead to another, and another, and a few weeks later, Rin and Naruto had become almost regular guests to the house of Haruno Nabiki. Sometimes Rin would run into one of Nabiki's sons, but that was rare enough that she hadn't really gotten to familiarize herself with them.

Naruto's muffled laughter, and the little arms wrapped around her neck in a light hug brought her back from her memories.

"What is it, little boy?" She asked, one of her eyebrows raised.

Again, the child laughed, and Rin found herself smiling. At nineteen, she had never really expected to be a mother, but found herself acting like one, anyway. Most times, she liked to think of herself as that older sister that had to take care of her younger siblings because their parents had left.

In a way, she did.

Rin hid her sigh in the forehead nuzzle she gave Naruto. Sometimes she missed her teacher. Minato had been good to her, to her entire team, actually, not that Kakashi or Obito could truly appreciate that. He had been the father she never had, he and Kushina had brought her to their home whenever they had dinner and Rin found herself spending more time in the Namikaze residence than at her own apartment in the village proper. They listened to her, gave her advice, and kept her secrets.

She didn't know what it was like to have parents - real parents - but she would have liked to think that what she had with her teacher and his wife was as close to it as she was going to get.

Laughter again, this time right in front of her face and accompanied by gentle pats on her cheek.

Ah, headstrong indeed.

It seemed Nobunaga agreed as he gave a concurring meow from her shoulder. Rin wanted to know how the feline had managed to keep its balance despite the fact that he had bent down to pick up the boy.

"Are you hungry, is that it?" The excitable nod was all the reply she needed to take him to the dining room and started preparing his formula. Looking at the clock while doing so, she realized that it was around four in the afternoon already. "I suppose it is time for your meal, huh?" Once more, she was answered with laughter.

Intelligent thing, too.

When the boy was happily enjoying his milk, and she was sitting down across him at the dining table, she heard the door open.

"I was wondering where you went, Haruno-san." She called out, though still keeping her eyes on the little boy she was beginning to think of as a brother if not a son. "You sort of just fell behind when I picked Naruto up."

"Well," Came the reply from the older woman. "It looked to me like you had everything under control - that, and I heard the doorbell ring."

At this Rin turned around, seeing Nabiki at the door, blocking whoever it was that was at the entrance. Before the former kunoichi could voice her question, however, Nabiki moved to the side to reveal their new guest.

"When I called on you at the old Namikaze house and found no one inside, I assumed that you would have been visiting Haruno-san." Danzo stated with an amused smirk.

In his early sixties, High Councilman Shimura Danzo aged much more gracefully than his best friend, Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, had, managing to keep the black of his hair and most of the wrinkles off his face. With his broad shoulders, straight back, and well-built arms all wrapped into a black yukata that lacked any form of decoration, Danzo cut an imposing figure and stood as an example of what many of the ninja should hope to become once they reached his age.

Provided they did, of course.

The laugh that came from behind her told Rin that Naruto had noticed the arrival of their new guest.

Looking back to the boy, she barely saw him push himself off the chair before he tottered towards the older man.

"Ah!" Danzo knelt down to pick up the child when Naruto arrived at his feet. "You're walking now!" Looking to Rin, he asked: "When did this start?"

"Just now, actually, Shimura-san." Rin said as she stood up and gave the man a shallow bow at the waist, Nobunaga dropping to the floor as she did so. "I trust you have been well? You're here earlier than usual so I wasn't expecting you."

Danzo adjusted the child so that he would be sitting on the older man's right shoulder. "I am well, Nohara-san. Reconstruction of the village has been progressing nicely, though I'm certain that Namikaze has made you aware of this." When Rin gave him a nod in response, he continued. "I also received word from Saiki-sama that she shall be visiting this week. I felt that you might want to know."

Rin nodded and sent the man a smile in response. Lady Saiki had sent a letter to her several days before telling the latter of the planned visit, writing about wanting to inspect the progress of Konoha's reconstruction as well as check on those close to their family. There was also the issue of putting the minds of the members of the High Council at ease, letting them know that Namikaze has no intention of abandoning them.

"I was made aware of it very recently myself, Shimura-san." Rin replied. "She also wished to know if she could have a few informal meetings with the members of the High Council."

"That would be good. Honestly, some of the members of the council are still feeling rather insecure. We haven't had a high-level representative from you since before Minato-sama died, and I think it's been making them feel rather fidgety. Having someone from the head family might help settle the uneasiness that's started to come up now that we have nothing to offer you." Danzo said as he looked up from the seat he now occupied - having moved there to rest while having Naruto sit on his lap for while. The boy had taken to looking from Danzo to Rin as though following the conversation. The counselor gave the boy a pat on the head, Naruto making a few pleased noises at the attention. "A part of me likes to think that the Namikaze consider Konoha as much a home as their ancestors did, though."

A cup of tea was set down on the table. It was Nabiki. "Let's hope they continue to think that way. We do have Saiki-sama's only grandson here, after all, and they seem to be alright enough with letting him be a part of Konoha." Passing Rin a cup before seating herself with one as well with the Kettle set down in the middle of the table, she turned to Danzo: "So, Danzo," Her voice was almost sultry, and Rin hid a smile behind her cup as she drank. "Will you be staying for dinner?"

At this Rin laughed, and settled in for an enjoyable night of flirting old people, intelligent conversation, and good company.


End file.
